DRUG ADDICTION NOT CRIMINAL ISSUE

It has long been obvious that a new approach is needed to combat the
age-old problem of hard drugs, particularly heroin.

While Ottawa spends nearly half-a-billion dollars a year to wage its war on
drugs -- with most of it going to police enforcement -- the victories are
few and far between. Drugs are more potent and cheaper than ever, and more
accessible. Our city streets are home to junkies sharing needles, spreading
diseases, overdosing, and committing crimes to get their fix, including,
sadly, prostitution.

Thankfully, the federal government is thinking about taking a different
tack -- dealing with drugs as a health issue.

By treating addicts as criminals, the current approach gives these people
little hope of getting off drugs and on with life. More than likely, they
will spend a lifetime on the streets or in jail, all the while trying to
stay one step ahead of death and the law.

Many European countries have long ago woken up to the reality that a
heavy-handed approach does not work and have moved towards harm reduction.
This approach focuses less on telling drug abusers about the dangers of
drugs and more on getting them to use drugs safely. This has led to the
opening of government-funded safe-injection sites in areas where drug use
is prevalent.

These facilities provide a secure and sterile environment where junkies can
shoot up and/or access addiction-treatment strategies. Addicts have to
register at the sites and anyone who violates the rules of the program is
subject to expulsion and criminal charges.

In Germany, Switzerland and Holland, officials say these shooting galleries
have cleaned up the streets and reduced deaths and disease.

Now, a parliamentary committee is suggesting that the federal government
remove any federal regulatory or legislative barriers to ease the way for
safe-injection sites in Canada. As with any progressive idea, the
committee's plan was met with resistance and derision.

Alliance MPs claim providing legal shooting galleries is going too far,
while the Canadian Police Association says "we're sliding down a slippery
slope." Obviously, the objections centre around the fact that by providing
a safe place for addicts to shoot up, the government is aiding and abetting
an illegal activity.

Is the alternative any better? Can we continue to turn our backs on addicts
and leave them to rot in our jails or on our streets? Do they not deserve a
chance to kick their habit and become productive citizens? Do we want to
continue to throw billions of dollars down a black hole?

The ultimate measure of a compassionate society is the way it treats its
most vulnerable members. By treating drug addicts as criminals, we have
failed miserably. A new health-based approach will go a long to way to
alleviate the suffering.